Religion & politics

Oppose anti-Muslim bigotry, defend the right to criticise religion

Violent protests have spread across the Middle East and North Africa in response to an anti-Islamic film that was posted on YouTube. To call the film a piece of third-rate dross would be too lenient. Aesthetically the film is patently awful, and features a cast who can’t act and a set that jumps and bumps around the screen when it most definitely shouldn’t. The film also mocks and insults Islam. It portrays the prophet Muhammad as a philanderer and a child molester who gets a kick out of massacring non-believers. The fact that it’s badly acted seems to make it even viler, for some reason. The...

Feminism vs religion

This year in Britain we’ve seen Christian fundamentalism asserting itself. In London, Brighton and Manchester we have seen pro-life pickets outside abortion clinics, where women are harassed and told lies about the effects of abortion. Fourtunately those pickets have not gone unchallenged by pro-choice campaigners. But increasingly, on our streets and university campuses, pro-life organisations hold stalls and workshops distributing anti-abortion propaganda. Now Catholic (“pro-life”) charity Care Confidential is seeking to bring all its affiliated centres up to “commissioning status” standard...

The fight for secularism

Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association, spoke to Ira Berkovic. What’s behind the resurgence in self-confidence on the part of organised religion? In many ways the apparent resurgence is only apparent and not as real as it seems. The situation is that of a diminishing group of individuals shouting louder rather, than a growing group speaking up with increasing confidence. However, it is certainly true that in the absence of other easily identifiable and self-promoting groupings, politicians are increasingly turning to ready-made religious groups whose leaders, even...

The “second coming” of George Galloway

Some parts of the left have greeted Respect’s success in Bradford West with what can properly be described as religious enthusiasm. Writing over the Easter weekend on Britain’s most widely read socialist blog, one long-time activist even described the spectacular by-election overturn as “the second coming”. What George Galloway — a politician who frequently plays on his Catholic devotion — makes of such implicit comparisons between him and Christ, I cannot guess. But while his victory may not be quite the equivalent of walking on water, the sheer scale of what was achieved is beyond dispute...

Abortion: for a woman's right to choose

The latest US craze to hit the UK is for religious nutcases to gather outside abortion clinics hassling staff and patients. In Brighton “pro lifers” gather twice weekly to harangue and intimidate women trying to access services they are legally entitled to. In Bloomsbury daily “prayer vigils” are being held outside the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) throughout Lent. Suggestion: why not try giving up chocolate for Lent, instead of stuffing your hateful, misogynistic, outdated crap down vulnerable women’s throats? Women will always need abortions. Let’s not go back to rusty coat...

Assimilation or liberation?

The government has launched a consultation on marriage reforms, which would allow gay couples in England and Wales to enter into civil marriage. We have already witnessed an unrestrained fit of homophobia from many religious leaders and anti-gay groups, including the Coalition for Marriage. They say same-sex couples may choose to have a civil partnership but no one has the right to redefine marriage for “the rest of us”— presumably those who support the existing patriarchal concepts of marriage and sexuality. The key proposals of the consultation are: • to enable same-sex couples to have a...

"The Treason of the Intellectuals": buy here and contribute to AWL fund drive

"The Treason of the Intellectuals, and other political verse" by Sean Matgamna includes political verse previously published in Solidarity and its forerunners. All proceeds from sales of the book, above printing and dispatch costs, go to the AWL fund drive. £9.99. Buy by clicking on the button below. or click here .

Madrid "real democracy" activists discuss protesting against Catholic Church

By Sacha Ismail Last night, myself and another Workers´ Liberty supporter, Esther Townsend, attended some of an indignados meeting in the Puerta del Sol, one of the main squares of Madrid. The indignados movement has been holding meetings and protests across Spain for several months to protest against corruption and cuts and demand "real democracy" (see here for the international website they are part of and here for our somewhat limited coverage). It seems to be diffusely anticapitalist and left-leaning, though politically fairly unformed. This meeting was to discuss the Pope´s visit to Spain...

Sex in the Big Society

Contrary to popular belief, the schools of Eton and St Paul’s, where members of our current Tory cabinet acquired their top-notch educations, were not rife with fagging, or even shagging. In fact, the whole Conservative lot, Nadine Dorries and Anne Milton included, abstained from sex entirely until they were well settled within the confines of marriage. Once there, they performed the ritual act a mere two or three times, to ensure children were conceived and contraceptives (which they were happy to learn nothing about) were not used. But how, you’re almost certainly asking yourselves, do they...

George Galloway: a fighter for Celtic fans?

In his first electoral outing after being expelled from the Labour Party (Respect, 2004) George Galloway promoted himself as “a fighter for Muslims”. Trying again in Scotland on 5 May, he now pitches himself as the champion of... Celtic fans. Shamefully, some of the Scottish left are backing him. http://bit.ly/meN0TA

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